Optically Active Hybrid Materials Constructed from Helically Substituted Polyacetylenes

Functional materials derived from synthetic helical polymers are attracting increasing interest. Helically substituted polyacetylenes (HSPAs) are especially interesting as typical artificial helical polymers. In recent years, we designed and prepared a series of functional materials based on HSPAs and inorganic materials. The target is to establish some novel hybrid materials that combine the superior properties of both. The examined inorganic materials include silica, graphene, and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Such new functional materials hold great promise and are expected to find practical applications, for instance, as chiral absorbents, chiral sensors, chiral selectors for inducing enantioselective crystallization, chiral catalysts towards asymmetric catalysis, and chiral carriers for enantioselective release. The Personal Account summarizes our major achievements in preparing optically active hybrid materials. We hope it will speed up progress in chiral-related research areas.